It’s been a long time coming, but it’s time to bid adieu to Gamestop. The store that has filled my gaming needs for many years has served it’s purpose, but it’s time to move forward. There are so many other places to buy games these days making this “Evil Empire” no longer an option.

So why now?

Last week, I wanted to pick up the Quake 4 re-release. It’s been almost six years since I played the game and when I heard that it ws back I couldn’t help but pick it up. I went to Best Buy to see if they had the game and it unfortunately wasn’t on the shelf. Of course I could have went to Target or Wally World (aka Walmart), but ended up at the “Evil Empire” instead. I always kept telling myself that I didn’t want to go in, but my options were rather limited at the time so I had no choice.

Once I walked in to the store I found a copy and wanted to make the purchase. Now just like every Gamestop employee they try to make you buy the used version instead. A used copy was only five bucks. Sure it sounds like a great deal and I also had Powerup Rewards points making the game free (except for tax). I then asked the employee if I can see the disc to inspect the quality. At first they started to object to my request, but they realized that I have the right to look before making the buy. I then saw the disc and what I saw was horrifying.

What the hell happened to this disc? Better yet, who was the last owner of this disc? This must have been “kid” owned. This disc looks like its been to hell and back again. It was probably used as a frisbee and thrown all across the floor. I’m sure that once the case was open the disc was never put back. It just laid around collecting scratches and other shit. Then after sitting around for maybe a year the “kid” probably pulled the game out of his pocket and traded it in to Gamestop for a shitty credit. Now they want me to buy the game so that they get the all the profit while I deal with all the hassle and frustration of it not working. Why?

Sadly, this is not the only game disc that has this problem. All of Gamestops used games have this issue. From the people who bought these games to the employees themselves, nobody takes care of their games. They just play them and trade them in without no consideration of the disc’s condition. Sure Gamestop says that they refurbish the discs so that they work, but that’s not a guarantee. That’s because no matter how well they refurbish them they still look like shit. Maybe Gamestop needs to take a closer look at their buy back program and change their policies when it comes to allowing trade-ins. Then again this is Gamestop. They don’t care as long as the money keeps coming in while screwing over the customer in the process.

This is a big reason why I don’t buy used games from Gamestop. Then again I really don’t buy anything from them anymore. Their employees are retarded. They keep trying to make me reserve the new Call of Duty game everytime (seriously they do). Their trade in values suck as well. Then again I’m sure you’ve all heard that same song and dance for a long time. I only buy my games at Best Buy now. It’s easier, no hassles, less frustrating, and most of all it’s peaceful. I like that. Besides I’d rather buy my games “new,” because I want to support the developer and not the “Evil Empire.”